When it comes to mental illnesses, employers have to expect their employees to be out of work for longer periods of time than with other illnesses. “A loss due to a mental illness lasts on average around a month,” said economist Claudia Buengeler from the Christian Albrechts University in Kiel.
Overall, the number of days missed due to mental illnesses is increasing in Schleswig-Holstein. At the end of July, a sick leave analysis commissioned by DAK-Gesundheit showed that sick leave due to mental illnesses increased by 15 percent in the first half of 2026.
According to the information, the number of days absent per 100 employees rose from 187 in the first half of 2025 to 214 in the first half of 2026. This diagnosis is now the most common cause of absenteeism. The data from around 111,000 working DAK insured people in the northernmost federal state were evaluated.
Does work make you sick?
According to the economist, it is not possible to determine which illnesses are caused by work. Because work is not the only area of life that puts strain on people. Private, social and economic factors can also play a role.
“Part of the truth is that people spend a significant amount of time at work and work is generally very important to people,” says Buengeler.
In addition, work is associated with numerous social relationships and networks. Other people at work can strengthen your well-being, but they can also put a strain on it. In addition, there are increasing demands, new technologies and changes in work organization.
“It is sometimes difficult to say exactly which factor led to what in a particular case,” said the professor. In addition, awareness of mental illnesses has increased in recent decades and destigmatization has taken place.
What influence stress can have
According to the professor, stress in particular can make you sick over time: requirements at work could trigger stress and reduce well-being. But they are not automatically harmful. They could also motivate people if they have enough time, influence and other resources to overcome them.
It becomes problematic when the requirement is greater than the available resources over a long period of time. A balance is important, says Buengeler. If an imbalance persists, at some point it can no longer be balanced: “Then your personal reserves will also be exhausted.”
A lack of challenge can also be stressful, for example through monotonous work. It can cause a lot of fatigue and stress. Buengeler distinguishes between requirements that can even have a stimulating effect if there are sufficient resources, and conditions that do not contribute to development.
Challenges that offer opportunities for growth, such as an exciting project, taking on leadership, working with new people or solving tricky problems, are stimulating. Even if a job offers little, what matters is whether people have the opportunity to deal with the requirements.
Leadership influences well-being
Leadership and the manager's attention play a central role. Because leadership can provide employees with resources and reduce demands - or contribute to an unfavorable relationship. According to Buengeler, the type of leadership has a significant influence on how employees feel.
Relationship-oriented leadership behavior (supportive and appreciative), task-oriented (clear goals and structure) and change-oriented (inspirational, charismatic) are usually associated with higher well-being. This also applies to empowering, ethical or servant leadership.
On the other hand, active-destructive leadership behavior such as bullying, belittling or excessive criticism or even passive laissez-faire leadership is harmful, especially if it occurs repeatedly. Authoritarian leadership styles that do not tolerate any contradiction also left their mark. The scientist points out the danger of “trickle-down effects” in companies: what happens at higher management levels often continues downwards.
Managers also need support
According to the scientist, managers are under immense pressure and the demands placed on them have noticeably increased. This became particularly evident during the pandemic: they suddenly had to make a lot of additional decisions and also deal with personal emergencies within the team. When there are fears about the future, insecurities or financial threats, attention is increasingly directed towards them. Your behavior will then have a stronger effect - both positive and negative.
Admitting weakness is often particularly difficult for managers and is associated with a stigma, says Buengeler. This is precisely why managers need support. At the same time, they should decide for themselves whether and how to disclose their situation. However, if employees and work suffer greatly, ways must be found quickly to improve the situation.
Where employers can start
Employers could focus primarily on the design of the work. Tasks should be tailored so that they are feasible and at the same time remain meaningful and motivating. This helps to keep people engaged and healthy in the long term. According to the professor, employers who are serious must carefully examine the working environment and the distribution of tasks.
«Do I have certain scope for decision-making, do I receive feedback on my work and do I see what has become of my work? Do I have varied tasks where I can continue to learn something?" explained the scientist. In addition to the focus on leadership and good teamwork, these are some of the most important work-related levers to ensure that people stay satisfied and motivated and can deal well with work-related demands.
Health also includes the opportunity to take a break from work after work. “If I have the feeling that I can never really take myself out of work and switch off completely, recovery becomes more difficult,” said Buengeler. This often also affects sleep. “As a result, my own resources suffer and I arrive less fit the next day.” This leads to a cycle of exhaustion and new stress.
Obligations even in your free time
According to experts, this cycle can also occur if the burden of everyday life remains in your free time. Anyone who follows a tight program in their free time, remains constantly available or even optimizes their own relaxation can hardly find peace inside, said Ulrich Reinhardt, the scientific director of the Foundation for Future Questions.
Hobbies could help as a conscious counterpoint to acceleration. But many citizens felt the pressure not to miss anything. According to Reinhardt, there are more and more commercial offers for leisure. There are also invitations and social obligations. In short: There are more and more opportunities, but not more free time. According to calculations, it has remained almost unchanged at four hours on a working day for around 40 years.
In addition, according to the foundation's leisure monitor, seven of the ten most common activities are now digital. Regenerative activities and personal meetings with family, friends or neighbors would occur significantly less often. According to the scientist, too few breaks mean too little relaxation, fewer real contacts lead to less social integration - and thus to less balance for the psyche. This can, but does not have to, make you sick.
